The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) and the Australian Catholic Bishops (ACB) have differing opinions on the introduction of an R18+ adult videogame rating Down Under, which has caused a chasm between the two groups.
The ACL is strictly against the introduction of R18+ and has setup a website designed to get supporters to email the attorney general and newspapers on the subject. The ACL’s Managing Director also previously compared playing violent games to SAS Training, saying about such games, “It’s simulation and interactivity and repetition all of which are ascribed to games that make them a particularly dangerous form of medium to be flooding the community with.”
While the ACB’s “preferred position” was that violent adult games would not be sold at all in Australia, it realized that was an impractical stance, and chose to support R18+ as a way to restrict children’s access to games.
A Kotaku story details the rift between the two organizations, quoting an ACB spokesperson as stating that the ACL was “angry” with the ACB’s stance on the matter, which prompted a “furious call” placed to the ACB about the matter.
The ACB spokesperson added, “But such is life” and continued:
We’re talking to the Attorneys-General and we’re going to continue to talk to them. We’re saying the same thing to them as we said in the submission. That’s basically our view. Certain games – like GTA for example – they need something a little extra so parents understand the game is not for children.
No doubt R18+ will be discussed yet again at the upcoming Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting scheduled for December 10.
Comments
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Unexpected.
Although the bashing on religion in this post is kind of sad. There's a Christian group on our side what more proof do you need that they don't all think alike.
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Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
"Even the worst people/groups can be right sometimes."
Interesting that you think religious people are the worst. I mean, that does seem to be what you're implying.
"In the case of religion they're usually only right when they employ secular reasoning and proper logic to make a decision instead of relying on their ancient desert scribblings."
Well, no points for originality. Now, this begs the question: When are religious people "right"? I'm just going to take a guess at the condition of being "right" comes to your subjective opinion of what is "right". The same goes to when religion is "wrong". Furthermore, how do you know that the reasoning of religious people when they're "right" is the somehow different when they're "wrong". I mean, its absurd to suggest some completely different source of reasoning when disagreement comes about. When they're right its logic, but when they're wrong, they just think their "imaginary friend" (again, no point on originality for this rhetoric) is telling them to with no other reasoning behind it? Your going to have identify your own reasoning (secular?) on that one. If you think that that religious people's only reason is "because God said so", you need to identify that you've created a strawman and need to find out what the reasoning is. Which brings me to "employ secular reasoning and proper logic". Logic and reasoning, objective tools, aren't so simple when it comes to subjective standards, such as morality.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Please use the 'reply' button when responding to a specific post.
Andrew Eisen
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Odd, I thought I did.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
For those who think that religion should stay out of politics, bad news, anyone with any sort of moral stance or really any stance on what is right or wrong, will want to say something on laws. And may I note, few seem to have a problem with religious group's opinions when there's agreement on an issue.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Even the worst people/groups can be right sometimes. In the case of religion they're usually only right when they employ secular reasoning and proper logic to make a decision instead of relying on their ancient desert scribblings. So if a religious organisation representing a portion of the populace wants to employ real-world reasoning to lobby their local government representatives, then they should be allowed. But I don't see why their imaginary friend should have a say in the way our government runs.
In this case neither side seems to be invoking some invisible fairy as part of their arguments, at least as far as this report tells without having looked at the links. The only problem is that the ACL seem to be running the same old (tired) argument which is matter of opinion and can't be backed up.
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Can this be considered as a fight between christians and catholics? Or the Christian Lobby also represents the interests of the australian catholics and this is just a major disagree between the 2 groups?
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Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Consider this to be a disagreement between a specific christian group and the overall positions of australian catholic bishops as an organized group. This says nothing on the opinions of individual christians overall.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." -Albert Einstein
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Religion has no place tampering in politics.
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
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Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
The ACB is correct in this case. Since Australia doesn't want to restrict too many games, a lot of the games that should be R-18 are let in with an MA-15. An R-18 rating would actually do a lot more good than bad. A lot of people don't want to believe that but it's true.
Re: AU Christian Groups Still Battling Over R18+
Very true. Those are the same people who think that not having the rating = not allowing the games. Which, of course, is not true.